


Eonian legacy

by Renmiri



Category: Perry Rhodan - Various Authors
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Reboot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-20
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-21 21:44:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2483510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Renmiri/pseuds/Renmiri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This tale is a story arc of about 300 years in an Earth that has just discovered a stranded alien ship, to the 300 years after that discovery. Parallel to this development, the many nuclear / chemical accidents we had (Fukushima, Chernobil, Goianaia, BP etc...) have started mutating the people near it and some people have developed psychic powers and a new academy for psychic people is formed. Think more Psycor from Babylon 5 than X-Men academy.  It is a mash up of several sci-fi books and movie themes, and if you read Perry Rodhan's early books (1-200) you probably recognized the plot arc. Yes it is lightly based on Perry, his psy corps and Arkon  but "rebooted" on the early 2,000's not 1970's like the books.  I must warn you that  it has been so long ago that I've read the PR books that I only remember the basics. I don't want to anger PR fans with my mixing up of the facts and plots but I do want to give credit where is due. Eonians are also lightly based on another book: The Ice People (French: la Nuit des temps) is a 1968 French science fiction novel by René Barjavel. I hope you like it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kato

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Kato, a Japanese teleporter meets Daria, one of my OC (original characters) mother of Shany, another of my OC and one of the protagonists of this story. Kato was inspired on Tako Kakuta but isn't Tako, which will show up later in the books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was writing "Kato" as my idea of a reboot of Tako Kakuta but then I found out I had misspelled Kakuta's name. Considering I made Kato a gay man - my head canon for him is a George Takei look alike - and Tako was heterosexual I decided to leave Kato as a separate character, as I do not wish to offend any Perry Rodhan fan. But if you keep reading, please be aware that I see the Arkonids society as being very advanced in their treatment of sexuality: Unions between 3-5 people are common place. Homosexuals and hetero's are treated equally, so are all LGBT people and even asexual people. The work is teen rated so there will be no description of any sex act but I will talk about different sexuality and different kinds of romantic unions. If this horrifies you, better stop reading.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Tell me about my mom, How did you meet her ?" Shany asked John.

"Wow, that was so long ago... It was when I was with Igor and Little Yuri. Your dad told you about Little Yury ?" he answered, chewing on whether to tell the Shany the story or not. It wasn't a period of his life he liked to be remembered of.

"No, no he hasn't" said Shany puzzled, missing her dad's frantic gestures to John to change the subject. "Who is he ?". "Dad ?"

"Kato ?" said John looking at her dad also puzzled.

"I .. err.. Well, me and your mom.. We thought it would not be a good topic to talk about while you were... in the regeneration pod" said Kato embarrassed. "Your mom was so worried she even taught me how to hide thoughts about him from you" he added.

"You what ?" Shany asked, frowning in concentration. "OMG you ARE hiding those thoughts from me!" she said surprised, sensing the dark area in his mind she couldn't read. She didn't even know her dad had that ability! She looked at John who was thinking of a frail looking young boy and a reddish haired brutish looking man."John ?" she asked, looking pleadingly.

John sighed... "It isn't a very happy story. Me, your dad, your mom and Perry have tried to forget it and put it past us, but I don't see why hide it from you love" he added. "Come on Kato, eventually she has to know!" he said looking at Kato.

"Well, I suppose you are right.. Now is a good time as any" Kato nodded sadly. He also hated remembering that time.

"So tell me, please ?" Shany pleaded.

"Very well... You remember me telling how I met your mom ?" said Kato, while Shany nodded affirmatively.

"You did but tell me again ? Will you let me see it this time ?" she pleaded. "You rarely let me see it through your eyes..." she said already fetching the Eonian mind net.

"I guess... I don't have to hide the last part from you anymore, so why not ?" Kato said, adjusting the mind net to his temple.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York Mercy Hospital (Memory screen)_  
A screen flickered to life in the black slab near them, showing a hospital room, a young Kato laying on the bed, neat tidy sheets pulled up to his chest. He blinked slowly taking the room in, and that moon faced young nurse asking if he was feeling well, smiling at him.

"I... yes" he heard his young self answer on the screen. "I was lying, of course. My head was pounding and I felt nauseous, about to faint again but I was scared and broke so I wanted to leave that place as soon as I could, before they stole my bike on the street".

"Your bike is safe and sound locked downstairs, next to mine" the smiling nurse said. "I found the key to your chain on your pocket, here it is" she added showing him the key and putting it next to his clothes on the little closet in front of his bed.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"I immediately thought of a way of getting out of the hospital gown and getting my bike and leaving, as soon as I could, which of course your mom read easily from my mind", today's Kato added.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York Mercy Hospital (Memory screen)_  
"Don't be silly, you can't overextend yourself like you are doing! You will faint again or worse.", the young nurse said to a surprised young Kato. "It was like she was reading my mind, I remember thinking at the time, which was just what she was doing, little did I know" said today's Kato chuckling.

The young man on the screen shifted uneasily. "What.. you mean ? " He asked and added "No English" pointing at himself.

"Oh ?" She said and added "How silly of me!" and then her voice shifted... A deeper voice said "Here, is that better ?" inside his mind, making young Kato's eyes open wide in surprise.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_

"She half scared me to death with that trick, your mom did" her dad said fondly, looking at his frightened young self on the screen in front of him.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York Mercy Hospital (Memory screen)_  
"What is that ? Are you a witch ?" young Kato said, his mind reeling with visions of Oni and other magical beings from the childhood stories he had heard in Japan. The screen flickered a bit showing some of them and then went back to the hospital room.

"Hehe, no you silly! I'm just like you, you can jump and I can talk on peoples heads, are YOU a witch ?" she said in his mind, her beautiful laugh making young Kato feel foolish.

"I.. No. Yes.. " I don't really know. I just can do it" he was about to answer angrily but had no English words for most of it so all that the young man said was "No English" yet his previous words were clearly audible on the mind net screen.

"You don't have to talk in English. Just say it on your mind, I heard you loud and clear she said imitating him "I.. No. Yes.. " I don't really know. I just can do it" she added and then said "It's the same for me. I just can do it", her mouth never uttering one word.

"Is spooky!" he said in his mind

"So says the guy who can jump around between places, carrying a bike, no less!" she said amused. "Don't you think that is just a little spooky too ?" she added

"I.. yes I suppose it is" he said and relented, smiling at her

"There's a smile! Good, we are friends already! Hi, I'm Daria and you ?" she said looking at him quizzically

"Kato. Kato Saito" he said pointing at himself, this time speaking the words instead of using his mind. His stomach growled and he looked embarrassed.

"Why look at me, chatting your ears off and forgetting to feed you!" said Daria. "You just sit tight there and I'll bring you some food. Chicken soup ok ?" she asked. His stomach growled in agreement and she left the room.

The image on the screen dissolved and came back to a satisfied Kato eating the last spoonful of a big bowl of soup and a pile of empty plastic sleeves that contained many crackers a few moments ago. "I love those crackers too" Daria said picking up his empty tray and winking at him. "Now you should rest a bit and go to sleep, I gotta finish my rounds and I'll stop by here as soon as I can ok ? Don't go jumping or you might injure yourself !" she said and left.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"But of course I didn't follow her advice..." today's Kato said as the screen shifted to him sneaking out to the parking lot, looking for his bike. "When I finally saw my bike I ran to it, determined on making a fast escape, but your mom was one step ahead of me" he added

"As she always was" said John smiling fondly.

"She was, wasn't she ?" said Kato smiling. "She was waiting for me by the bike and the minute I touched the bike and started to jump, she held me, trying to stick something in my arm".

_2015 AD- Earth - New York - Manhattan (Memory screen)_

The screen flickered showing a bike on a parking lot and a shimmer in the air then a dirty looking New York street and a surprised Kato getting jabbed on the arm with a needle. It flickered again and it showed young Kato waking up in a futon on the floor of a small NY flat full of books and clothes strewn around. The screen looked a bit reddish, which indicated the person remembering it was feeling pain at the time of the events remembered. The reddish tint started going away slowly as a small hand showed at the top of the screen

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"I remember my head pounding, almost splitting with a huge headache and the cool touch of a frosty cloth on my forehead, your mom holding it and looking at me worried" today's Kato explained

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)_  
"Now that was a very foolish thing to do!" young Daria said to a contrite young Kato. "Jumping, and jumping with me and the bike ? Are you mad ? I don't even know how your brain is not bleeding!" she added angrily. The screen showed pictures of a brain and some areas highlighted in red and her voice added "You see those red areas ? This is where your jumps and my telepathy are made. When we use it we increase the flow of blood to those areas and decrease the serotonin.." the screen faded as today's Kato explained that Daria had proceeded to try to give him a detailed explanation of a brain's inner workings and brain chemistry to a young Kato that had lost her by the time she sad "you see those red areas ?"

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"She talked enthusiastically for about 20 minutes without realizing that I had fallen asleep" she told me later, today's Kato said laughing as the screen flickered again, showing him waking up groggily and seeing Daria sitting on the floor smiling at him.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)_  
"Hi sleepy head! Want some dim sum ?" she asked and he nodded yes at the offer of breakfast only to look down sadly and say "No money"

"Hey relax, I'm buying!" Daria answered and pointed at the tiny restroom to the side. "You can freshen up there if you need to" she added. The screen flickered again showing a Chinatown restaurant busy serving dim sum to guests, Daria and Kato included.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Your mom made me tell her that I was working 3 jobs as a delivery boy and being forced to teleport around like crazy, to be able to meet all deliveries" today's Kato said. "I started teleporting with the bike when a woman saw me appearing in the sidewalk and screamed bloody murder. I found out that by teleporting with the bike to the middle of traffic I didn't call that much attention" Kato added

"Oh yeah, I've driven in New York in the 10's, those bike delivery guys always appeared out of nowhere right on top of your car, you would blend right in. They were insane!" John said shaking is head

"But that of course made it even harder and by the second month of doing that and barely eating I was not doing well at all!" said Kato

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Chinatown (Memory screen)_  
"No wonder you fainted!" said Daria in the screen, swallowing a bite of her steamed dumpling. "You are going to get very sick if you don't stop this madness" she added while young Kato shifted uneasily on his chair eating his third plate of dumplings.

"I told her I was barely making the rent as it was and I could not afford to lose my jobs so I had to leave soon to go deliver food again" said Kato.

"Dad.. Stop narrating and show me" said Shany pointing at the screen.

The screen showed young Kato looking dejected as Daria's voice in his mind said vehemently "Today ? You can't, you are not rested yet!". She pondered for a few minutes and said more amenably "Look, how much would you make with just 2 jobs ? Can you actually USE the bike, I mean pedal it instead of jumping with it, if you are working for just 2 jobs ?" she asked

"I... Yes I think so, if I end up having to jump would be only once or twice a day not every delivery, if I just had my weekend job and my pizza delivery on weekdays" he said. "But I wouldn't make enough for food or rent" he added frustrated

"But how much would you make ?" she asked again and read his answer immediately before he even started to "talk" in his mind his answer to her. "That much ? Oh that is wonderful news! You know why ? I've been trying to find a roommate to share the rent with me for ages at my flat and you can pay me just $400 per month, which would leave you plenty for food!"

"Roommates you and me ?" said young Kato surprised and then he added sadly "but... I'm not..."

"Oh you silly, I know you are gay! I'm not proposing you or asking for a boyfriend I just need someone to share the rent!" said Daria to a shocked looking young Kato.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"She didn't need a roommate but she was worried about me and she also wanted the opportunity to study me, I found out later" said older Kato

"Hehehe so young Kato got to be a guinea pig for Daria ? When I met you two I thought you guys were lovers and I've been puzzled for a long time about that" said John laughing. "I knew you were gay, could read you like a book but Daria was a mystery to me" he added

"You couldn't read Daria's mind ?" asked Kato puzzled

"Well, I'm not a passive telepath like she was. When I read people they feel it, if they know what to look for, and she knew. You were oblivious!" John said mock hitting Kato with his napkin while he passed him on his way to get a beer at their fridge.

"Come to think of it I don't think even Little Yuri knew how to read her well. She knew how to block thoughts before any of us learned it. Heck she was the one who taught me how to block thoughts!" said John coming back with is beer and a wine cooler for Kato. "I think him and I were able to read all that stuff at the park because we caught you two by surprise!" he said and then looked glum, again thinking about the sickly little boy and the brutish man.

"Tell me" pleaded Shany

"We are getting to it woman! Would you be patient ?" said John smiling at her, his eyes mocking exasperation. He turned to Kato and bowed saying "Continue please Monsieur" in a ridiculously faked french accent

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Chinatown (Memory screen)_  
The screen flickered showing Kato accepting her roommate proposal and both of them walking to his 3rd job to give his boss the news, then moving his few possessions to her messy flat.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)_

"Well.. I'm kind of messy but you are welcome to just put my stuff in a pile here if it is in your way" she said pointing to an already brimming pile of clothes. The only clothes around hanging on hangers and well kept were her nurse uniform and shoes. "We should order dinner soon, there is a great noodles store around the corner" she said as it started getting dark.

"No need, I have noodles and pan" said young Kato unpacking his cooking stuff.

"You cook ? OMG if I knew that I'd have invited you for a roommate yesterday! I can burn even soup!" Daria said happily as he proceeded to cook some noodles with stir fried dried mushrooms.

"Tomorrow I get vegetables and some Japanese garlic and it will taste better" young Kato said as they both scarfed down his noodles.

The screen flickered showed them eating and walking around New York, then a crazy bike rider snaking his way past the crowded New York traffic, then Daria reading a pile of books, studying intensely for her finals.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Where did you sleep Dad ? There's only one bed" Shany asked

"We both shared her futon" he said slightly embarrassed. He didn't like to be reminded that his part on being Shany's father consisted on him donating his sperm for Daria's "independent production" pregnancy. He had actually loved Daria just not in a sexual way, but still a deep love. He missed her. For many reasons, caring for Shany being one of them, but he truly missed her smile and her wise council, every single day. They had been almost inseparable in the beginning and even later, they always found a way to stay in touch at any opportunity.

"Dad ? Did I say something wrong ?" Shany asked, knowing the answer full well, being a passive telepath like her mom she read her dad - and most people - easily

"No honey, not at all, I just miss your mom" he said

"Then show me more of her" she prodded making him show more of the two years they lived as roommates in New York, as he always did when she asked for it

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)_  
"You need to learn English" Daria said one day to young Kato. "Yes, this way you can get a better job, safer than driving this bike a few inches from those killer NY cars and buses! They have a janitor's job at the hospital but you need to have middle school level English" she added

"How ? Classes are expensive!" he said unhappily.

"Well you know how I translate for you on your mind what the other are saying ? I could do that with movies. I'd be your subtitles! And we can watch some TV news and such when we are too broke to go to a movie..." she added laughing

"You already do so much for me" answered young Kato

"Oh it wouldn't be for free, no sir!" she said laughing. "I love Japanese anime and there's this Japanese video game that wasn't released here that I've been wanting to play for ages. You could be my subtitles for those!" she said

The screen flickered showing them watching some Higurashi and Howl's moving castle, then watching Transformer's and Spiderman throwing popcorn at each other and enjoying an early 21st century New York. At night they watched the news and some sitcoms. Daria loved Bones and X Files, Kato preferred the ones showing families getting along, as he had had none. To him X Files and Law and Order was less alien than George Lopez or Everyone Loves Raymond. He had never had that kind of life, growing up near Fukushima, orphaned at a young age.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Dad you know I love to watch those memories but you always stop before showing me how you met John and how you guys made the academy. Why ?" said Shany

"Ah that is my cue" said John. "My turn to tell my story"

****  
  



	2. John

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How John Marshall, lead telepath on Perry Rodhan's Psy team happened to met Kato, a strong teleporter and Daria my OC (original character), mother of Shany (another of my OC).

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Not your turn yet John" said Kato. "I think it helps to know Yuri and Igor were born near Chernobyl..." he said and the screen flickered again 

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Central Park (Memory screen)_  
"You know I think what we do has something to do with nuclear accidents" said Daria sipping her coke walking through Central park. "You grew up near Fukushima and I grew up in Goiania where the guava trees used to glow in the dark, after they opened that Cesium-137 stuff there" she said

"Did the trees really glow in the dark? Seriously ?" young Kato asked

"No of course not.. I'm exaggerating slightly, but the government told us the trees were safe and we were safe and then later we find out the guavas were radioactive, as were the mangoes and anything around that neighborhood. Can't trust what the government say, that I learned from a young age!" she said

"You don't have to tell me, near Fukushima it was the same thing. It's safe, you can eat the fish, you can bathe on the beaches.. Oops, no you can't sorry, our bad, would you like an aspirin for your radiation poisoning ?" said Kato shaking his head

"And that was BEFORE the earthquake and the accident there. They keep saying all is well but I wonder what we will find out later" said Daria disgusted. "Ah well is not like we can do anything about it, it is what it is" she added. "But I think in our case it might have something to do with our gifts. I've been reading a lot and there seems to be a lot of weird stuff happening around places like those. Things like a Japanese guy and his bike disappearing and appearing from thin air" she said winking.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters  
_"She was on to something, as we learned later" added John and then he stood up and made a huge deal of saying it was his turn to tell the story, getting the mind net from Kato and attaching it to his temples and forehead.

_2016 - Moscow - A poker game somewhere (Memory screen)  
_ The screen flickered and showed a smoky room with 6 people playing poker, a young John among them.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"I was trying to hustle some Russians on a poker game. Having just arrived in Moscow I had time to make a lot of money before people started to get suspicious of me, on the casinos. In US there was almost no place where I could enter without being escorted out, accused of counting cards. The nerve of this people, I wasn't counting cards I was reading the dealer's mind!" said John in mock indignation. 

"I never start winning right away, throws people off, so I was just reading the thoughts of the people in the table and learning who liked to bluff, who was a risk taker, who had money. Most of the time I don't even have to read their cards that much, if I observe their playing style I can already tell what they think they have and how they will bet, so that was just what I was doing, losing some little cash to call less attention. Big winners and big losers tend to attract unwelcome attention and I had an entire night ahead so I was just drinking vodka and looking around" John added.

_2016 - Moscow - A poker game somewhere (Memory screen)  
_ The screen showed a man sitting near the table standing up with a murderous angry face.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
Shany looked closely, that man was the brutish looking redheaded guy John kept on remembering. 

"Igor" said John, pointing at the man which by now was holding John by his shirt collar.

_2016 - Moscow - A poker game somewhere (Memory screen)_  
"Sir, we need to talk to you in the office" said Igor, his face making it clear that it was not an invitation but an order. While John was getting up Igor sucker punched him. "Get out of my head or I'll kill you" echoed from the screen before it got dark and dissolved into a squalid looking room with two young boys and Igor, the screen tinged with red showing that John awoke in pain to the scene in front of him. 

"When Igor told me to follow him I immediately tried to read his mind, and somehow he sensed it and punched me, but not before threatening to murder me if I ever read him again" said John.

_2016 - Moscow - A back room somewhere (Memory screen)_  
"Heh look the sleeping beauty is awake" guffawed Igor, his mouth curled up in a cruel smile. "These are Little Yuri and Stephan" he said gesturing to a boy of 14 sitting near some crutches and a little boy that looked about 7. "And I am Igor" he added 

"John" said John coughing, scanning his surroundings. "What seems to be the problem ?" he asked Igor.

"The problem is that you are a no good card cheater, that's the problem" said Igor, to what John started to protest. "Relax. I only moonlight as security here, I'm not going to turn you in" Igor said, again with a cruel smile. "Lucky you, the owner here doesn't bother throwing cheaters out, he just shoots them" Igor laughed. "No sir, I'm not going to turn you in because you and I are going to be buddies. You and I are special people" said Igor with a strange glint in his eye.

"You don't know what I'm talking about, heh ? Little Yuri tells me you are confused. And thirsty. Stephan get our friend John here some water" he said to the 7 year old boy.

A glass started sliding in the table in front of him, then a water bottle filled the glass, without anyone touching them. The water bottle floated back to the table while the glass floated it's way to a flabbergasted John.

"Neat trick, no ? Stephan here is a very special boy." said Igor with a smile, this time a smile devoid of cruelty. Young John's face showed surprise and bit of fear, the screen still tinted red. "You have headache from my punch ? Heh Americans are such frail little things..." teased Igor

"Not the punch, that cheap ass vodka you guys serve" answered John drinking the cup of water in front of him. Little Yuri chuckled.

"Oh you funny man. I like you" said Igor with a face that denied what he just said. "Little Yuri, why don't you tell us about John here ?" he said turning to the 14 year old.

"You are 23 years old, born on Louisiana, lost family on a ... Katrina ? " said a young voice puzzled while the voice owner looked at John without uttering a word.

_2005 - New Orleans - Hurricane Katrina aftermath (Memory Screen)_  
The screen dissolved to show a flooded New Orleans with a dead dog floating away, the red tint on the screen turning dark red making the flooded streets look like they were being awash in a river of blood. Shany shuddered. She had seen some of John’s memories and nightmares about that period in his life and they were very hard to watch. Katrina had marked him for life. 

_2016 - Moscow - A back room somewhere (Memory screen)_  
"Katrina is what the Americans named that big storm that killed a lot of their people" said Igor and the screen dissolved into showing the the room again. "What else Little Yuri ?" he prodded the boy 

"No job, left school before graduation, earns his keep by cheating at cards and betting with people foolish enough to fall for his cons" added the voice with palpable distaste

"Heh, no need to be rude with our friend John, boy. We would do the same here if Russia's casino owners were are gentle as the Americans, no ? Here you don't get to walk out if you are caught cheating. No sir. So we don't do it because we have big plans and dying is not part of them, isn't that right kids ? We have big plans for all of us special people" intervened Igor

"As you can see here Stephan can move things and Little Igor can read heads like you do. Except Little Yuri is a lot better than you John. So no thinking of escaping or betraying us because he will tell me and I'm Russian, I'm no mild mannered gentle American. I'll burn you alive" said Igor as flames leaped from his hands and shattered the glass that was floating in the air near John's face. The intense heat singed some of John's hair as he jumped back surprised.

"That's right, I'm special too. Very special" said Igor pleased with himself

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Oh my good, this Igor looks like bad news" said Shany. 

"Oh you don't know the half of it, the man was a full blown psychopath" said John. "But that happens later so let me tell you the story the way it happened. Patience woman!"

"We left the casino and went to the little place Igor rented. You should see we "walking" over there though. Will give you a better understanding of things that happened later" said John

_2016 - Moscow - A street somewhere (Memory screen)  
_ the screen dissolved to show him, Igor and the two boys walking on a narrow street. Little Yuri wobbled around in his crutches, looking like he would fall at any minute but never did, while Stephan looked at him with lips white with effort, his little hands closed into a ball.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Is that... The little boy is propping Little Yuri up ?" asked Shany. 

"Yup. Was the only thing preventing Little Yuri from splattering into the ground face first." said John

"That jerk of a man, Igor isn't even slowing down!" said Shany angrily

"Oh he slows down every now and them but Igor was never a patient man. He had his grandiose plans and no time to lose". said John

"And the kids were just his meal ticket ?" asked Shany disgusted

"Oh I wouldn't go that far. They were his meal ticket for success for sure but in his twisted way I believe if Igor ever cared about anyone he cared for Little Yuri. And Stephan, a bit. It was a weird mix of kinship.. his "special kids" and ownership. The kids were his so what little care he had to give to anyone it went for the kids. But that was just enough not to let them starve or get sick. Sicker I should say. Little Yuri had MS and was already getting to the stage where he couldn't walk or grab things without dropping them.

"Oh my God, the poor kid!" said Shany

"Damn you woman with your evil wiles, you made me give up a plot secret. I only found out about the MS after we got to their apartment!" said John

_2016 - Moscow - A small, shoddy apartment (Memory screen)  
_ the screen dissolved into a dirty apartment, with a couch for Little Yuri to sleep and mattresses on the floor for Stephan and Igor.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"At least Igor gave the softest place to Little Yuri" said Shany angrily. 

"Oi woman will you let me tell the story ?" said John and then he had to duck from a magazine flying towards his head. "Ouch! No only she is impatient but she also has a temper" he said blowing Shany a raspberry. Kato chuckled.

"Go on John, I've never learned how you met Igor and the kids, it is kind of interesting to see it now." said Kato. "Painful but interesting" Kato thought but never said it out loud. Not that it made any difference, with two of the best Psy Corps telepaths here in the room thinking was almost the same as talking. Almost. They would know it wasn't a topic he cared to discuss further.

"Oh very well" said John

_2016 - Moscow - A small, shoddy apartment (Memory screen)_  
the screen dissolved to a drunken Igor telling John about Little Yuri's illness and how he had almost burned a doctor to death to make him treat the kid. " 

"But Little Yuri told me the doctor was telling the truth. There is no treatment for MS this advanced" said Igor with what looked like genuine pain and anger. "That British scientist, you know, on TV ? He is rich and famous and intelligent and no one can treat his MS so what hope is there for Little Yuri ?" he added glumly. "I don't want to despair but the doctor said Little Yuri has 5 to 10 years to live. If he is lucky" said Igor between gulps of vodka and tears.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
Shany felt her eyes stinging and Kato looked down avoiding her eyes. 

"I know, is a hard memory for me too" said John reading their consternation. "You sure you want to hear the rest of the story ?" he asked. "It gets worse" he thought without saying knowing full well she could read him.

"Please love. If it is related to my mom, I want to know" Shany pleaded.

Igor told me his mad plan for saving Little Yuri" said John in a low voice. "He was full of a fervor I didn't notice at the time, but if you look at my memory, it is there, in his eyes. Those eyes haunted me for a long time" added John

_2016 - Moscow - A small, shoddy apartment (Memory screen)_  
"The doctor said there is nothing on Earth that can save Little Yuri" said Igor, eyes alight with something one could mistake for a mix of despair and hope but that left a chill on your spine of anyone who saw them. "Well we don't have to be limited to look just on Earth anymore do we kids ?" Igor continued. "That astronaut Perry.. Perry Rosk or something" 

"Perry Rodhan" said young John on the screen, his face lighting up with hope "Yes, maybe the aliens he brought to Earth can help. They certainly seem to be from an advanced technology. Who would refuse to help a dying kid ?" John added

"They will not refuse" said Igor chillingly. "I'll burn down the entire New York city if I have to but they will not refuse to help. Isn't that right kids ?" asked Igor and disturbingly the two young kids looked at Igor with naked hope and adoration as Igor talked casually about murdering an entire city if needed be.

"Whoa, hold your horses Igor! There is no need to talk about barbecuing NY, I'm sure Perry and his aliens will be glad to help. There is no need for violence man!" said John trying to calm things down

"If you say so.. But they will cure Little Yuri. One way or the other they will cure him" said Igor in a way that chilled Shany to the bone.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
John read Shany’s horror at the scene and said: "I know love, I was alarmed too at the time but blew off my concerns away thinking that Igor was just drunk. That what was behind his eyes was despair meeting a tiny glimmer of hope and clinging to it to be able to be strong for the kids. I wish I had listened to my gut feeling that night and done something, but who could abandon a sick kid just because his guardian was a little cuckoo after a few drinks ? I couldn't" said John. "Besides, Little Yuri would read any concrete thought about escaping or attacking Igor and send it to Igor telepathically. There was no escape and it was a somewhat noble cause so I stayed even though any sane person would be terrified of Igor. I was" John added and pulled off his mind net, giving it to Kato. 

"I don't want to show you this last part of my Russian adventures love" John said. "It's me hustling the Russian casinos and Igor robbing people, until we had enough money for 4 tickets to New York and the fake documents we would need to travel. I'm really not proud of that part of my past" John added sadly

"Fine, so what happens next ?" asked Shany

"Kato and your mom go to a picnic in Central Park they will never forget". said John "I'l let him show you what led them to the park, right now I need a drink. A stiff drink but definitely not vodka. Vegan Jelad or Earth Whiskey would feel heavenly right now" he added and went to fetch them.


	3. Igor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Igor's plan to get Perry Rodhan to help cure Little Yuri gets in motion. John, Igor and the kids travel to 2017 New York. John Marshall, Perry Rodhan's lead telepath meets Kato, which will eventually join Tako Kakuta as one of Perry Rodhan's lead teleporters and his best friend Daria one of my OC (original characters) and they all meet Perry. Unfortunately with Igor involved things take a turn to the worse and bad things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Igor is roughly based on that Russian pyro kinetic villain that assembled a team of Psy people to attack Perry Rodhan on the books. I remember little of the actual book plot so I made up my own. Let me know if you like it

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"We were going to go to the Zoo" said Kato with a sigh. "If only we were not broke things could have turned out a lot differently" he added

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Central Park (Memory screen)_  
the screen flickered to show a sunny day in NY's Central Park.  Young Kato and Daria were sitting on a blanket munching on tuna sandwiches and drinking iced tea.

"Ugh, tuna again. But that's all we have until payday" said Daria disappointed. "The landlord shouldn't have charged us for the shower repairs. Creep! Now we need to spend a week eating tuna and noodles!"

"Ah well at least we have enough for tuna and noodles, 3 years ago I didn't even have that!" said Kato in a heavy accented English. "I liked it better when she read my mind but talking was helping me improve my English so we rarely used telepathy nowadays. I think that is why we didn't notice them" added today's Kato pointing at a group at the edge of the screen: John, Igor and the kids were looking at them intently from far away.

"I remember, you were thin as a stick when you showed up at my hospital, now you have a bit of a beer gut on you" said Daria teasing.

"I most certainly do not!" he said and was going to throw a paper napkin at her in protest when they heard a voice in their minds.

"Hi folks, I'm John and those are my friends Igor, Yuri and Stephan, we need to talk to you, can we come over ?" said a man's voice and a fire started on the tip of the blanket they were sitting on.

"Jesus Igor would you calm down ? You are scaring them. The jap was just startled!" said John and added "Now listen to me both of you. Igor is not a patient guy and you have only seen 1% of what he can do when angry. Don't even think about jumping or escaping, Yuri here can read your mind and will tell Igor. And he knows where you work lady" said John in their minds, pointing at the older boy.

"I had started to teleport both of us out of there and that had made Igor mad" explained Kato.

"You blame the boy but I felt YOU trying to read my mind" said Daria coldly. She started frantically thinking about alternatives, they could go to her flat or NYU and hide there..

"Now you've gone and told Little Yuri two more places where Igor can find you" John said and suddenly a younger voice added "Like here" and an image of her building appeared on their mind. "And here" added the boy, showing them her lecture hall at NYU.

"What do you want from us, we don't have any money! If you can read us that well you will know we are so broke we barely have what to eat until next week" said Daria. She added to Kato in English: "The boy seems to be like me, able to read people without them feeling it. The other one is less subtle, didn't you feel a sudden pressure in your head a little while ago ? It was him snooping"

"True lady, but while we chat Igor is getting angry again. I suggest you two sit very calmly and just listen to what he has to say. It's not money he wants, it is your skills. And it is for a good cause so relax, it's not like he is going to force you to rob someone" said John, praying that his promise to them was not going to be broken by Igor.

"Very well" they said and waited for Igor, John and the kids to make their way to them, Little Yuri struggling with his crutches and Stephan struggling to keep him balanced. Daria relented when she saw how difficult it was for them to get there.

"Oh my God, you poor thing!" said Daria standing up to help the boy and helping him sit awkwardly on the grass. The screen showed her lifting his arms above his head gently and examining under his armpits where he propped the crutches for support. The area was scabbed and red. "You must be in pain, you are already needing a chair not crutches!" she said as she looked at Little Yuri.

"Little Yuri here needs a lot of help lady" said Igor sitting near them on the grass.

"See ? I told you it was for a good cause" said John sitting on the other side of Daria, grabbing a tuna sandwich and scarfing it down.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"John, honestly, they have just told you they barely had money for food and you start eating their lunch ?" said Shany glaring at John

"Hey, I hadn't eaten all day, do you think cheapskate Igor would feed me ? I had to hustle for my meals!" said John apologetically. He grabbed the mind net from Kato and adjusted it to his forehead and temples.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Central Park (Memory screen)_  
The screen flickered a bit and showed the scene at Central Park again, with the kids eating the last sandwiches by then.

"We can go to my hospital, it's not far. I can definitely get a wheelchair for Yuri and some ointment for his scars and scabs. Can even get one of our doctors to see him if we are lucky. I think doctor Hower is on shift today, he is great with kids..." said Daria passing some iced tea to a thirsty Stephan.

"No need, no Earth doctor can help Little Yuri" said Igor. "He has MS, a bad strain of it. Won't live to see his 25th birthday" he added

"I had figured something like MS" Daria answered. "When did you start tripping and losing your balance ?" she asked the boy. The screen showed a number 3 and then showed a younger Yuri falling on the street and cutting his hand while a younger Igor told him to pay more attention and stop slowing them down.

"I didn't know Little Yuri, I thought you were just being clumsy" said Igor. Daria bit her lip hard but said nothing. Little Yuri looked at her and nodded and she and John heard his young voice on their head. "I know, every doctor thinks the same thing, 3 or 4 years tops right ? Then I die of pneumonia or something similar.." the young boy added  in an emotionless tone. "Please don't tell Igor that, he gets very angry when he hears it and he might hurt you" he said, bringing his fingers to his lips. "Yes, I can read you but not as easily as I read the others. You are different" he said

"Can you read me now ?" Daria asked and the screen took on a yellowish tint.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"I was trying my darndest to read her but couldn't" said today's John.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Central Park (Memory screen)_  
"No, I can't" said young John. "Hey how did you manage to do that ?" his young self added.

"I can. It is actually easier, like you are shouting" said Little Yuri.

"Oh ? Interesting!" said Daria.

"What ? What is interesting ? You 3 cut it out with all this mind talk and talk like normal people!" said Igor annoyed.

"We were just seeing how John can't do half of what Little Yuri can" said Daria but she squeezed John's hand behind Igor's back and added in his mind "Just flattering him a bit to calm him down".

"I know, my Little Yuri is very special, isn't he ? Stephan too. But so are you, we are all special people, we should stick together" said Igor proudly.

"We went to Daria's hospital, and she made me and Kato help Little Yuri on the way" said John making the screen flicker to a waiting room on the hospital where she gently cleaned and dressed the little boy's wounds and scabs, while getting the two kids some soup and crackers. "We left the boys with Daria at the hospital and Igor made me join him in an "errand" to relive some poor sap of his money" added John glumly. The screen flickered to show the band of "specials", Kato, Daria, the kids, John and Igor eating icecream near Battery Park

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
John narrated. "The week went on like that, boys left with Daria or Kato while Igor and I hustled until finally we had enough money to rent a car for the weekend. Igor and I had been planning to go to Atlantic City, one of the few casinos that I had not hustled yet, to get some serious money. We figured we could get at least enough to live a month or two out of there, before we raised too much suspicion" he said

"John, stop narrating, show me" protested Shany.

"Oi woman will you be patient ? The week in New York had nothing to show but the trip to Atlantic City was fun, you will like it" said John dissolving the screen

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Central Park (Memory screen)_  
The screen started showing a car with Igor and the kids in the back, and John driving while Daria  read a small device in her hand. "In 1.5 miles make a right turn at Garden State Parkway South" said the metallic voice from her phone GPS.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Oh so that was the "smart phone" that people used last century ? How funny!" said Shany chuckling. "No guiding lights on the routes, no display on your shuttle dashboard.. And what a cheesy robot voice!" she guffawed

"Oi woman, more respect for your elders. I'll have you know that me and Siri were very close, I even asked her to marry me a few times" said John chuckling while the screen dissolved

_2014 AD- Earth - Somewhere in US (Memory screen)  
_ The screen started to show a small rectangular screen with a young John saying "Siri will you marry me ?" to what the robot voice answered "I can not do that John, would you like me to google marriage for you ?"

_2015 AD- Earth - New Jersey - Garden State Parkway Highway (Memory screen)_  
The screen flickered and showed the beautiful New York state roads, the trees starting to get their first tint of red with the fall chill.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Wow, what a beautiful countryside. Even with roads marring it's beauty, it is still breathtaking." said Shany, as the screen showed farms and small tree groves passing by the car windows.

_2015 AD- Earth - Lancaster - Pennsylvania  (Memory screen)  
_ The car finally entered in a small crossroads going to a place that said "All you can Eat" and "Shoo Fly Pie".

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Shoo Fly Pie ?" asked Shany

"A delicious blend of sweet wet custard on the bottom and a crumbly mollasses pie on top" said John,

_2015 AD- Earth - Lancaster - Pennsylvania  (Memory screen)_  
the screen flickered and showed a large pie slice. "So sweet it got the flies crazy for it, hence the name" John added, showing the boys him an Igor scarfing down pie slices while Daria ate some fruit salad. "I will get diabetes just by looking at this gooey stuff" she said of the richly sweet pie in front of her. "No sir, I'll stick with my melon and grapes, thank you" she said primly. They left the restaurant and drove for a few more hours then stopped at a gas station run by Mennonites, near an Amish village, since it was getting dark.

"We need a place to sleep, and not on Atlantic City, up there it will be a fortune!" said Daria

"Heh we can sleep on the car" said Igor nonchalantly.

"Are you mad ? Absolutely not, Little Yuri has already been cooped up in this car for too long, and so has Stephan!" said Daria

Daria strutted to talk with the lady at the counter to ask for a cheap hotel around the area. The lady looked at Daria pushing Little Yuri's wheelchair and holding Stephan's hand and said gently "You can sleep upstairs with the boys for free, but your friends will have to fend for themselves. There's a hotel across the road but it isn't cheap" she added.

"Oh we couldn't.. we need to stay here for 3 days" said Daria embarrassed, to what the woman reiterated that she would be glad to help Daria and the kids so Daria accepted. "Had they had supper yet ?" the lady asked as they went upstairs to put their backpacks on the room. "Oh and how, they stuffed their face with Shoo Fly pie, I don't imagine those kids will be asleep anytime soon" said Daria. "A warm bath does wonders to get kids ready for bed" suggested the lady, bringing some fresh towels and a pitcher of water for the room. "Do you need some help ?" she asked. "Well... I guess if you could keep an eye on Stephan while I bathe his brother" said Daria taking a surprised Little Yuri to the bathtub.

"I don't need any help" said his young voice in her mind. "Don't be silly, of course you do!" said Daria. "Relax, I am a nurse, I have bathed 300 pound fat old men,  you will be a lot easier". she added. "Ok but tell John to stop spying on us" Little Yuri said. An image of John with a black eye flickered on the screen. "This is how you will look if you keep on spying on other people's bath time" fumed Daria and the screen flickered to show John trying hard to sleep on the car by the side of Igor who was snoring loudly.

_2015 AD- Earth - Atlantic City  (Memory screen)_   
The screen showed them all in the car driving to Atlantic city the next day, to spend the day there scouting the area. John dropped Daria and the kids by the beach, at her insistence. "A casino isn't a place for kids and Igor has you to cheat for him he doesn't need Little Yuri. Let me take the kids to be kids for once and play in the sand, collect seashells, chase seagulls.. It will be god for them" she said to John and Igor.

"Heh, ok but make sure you take good care of my special kids" said Igor relieved he would have the day to "work" instead of having to care for the boys.

_2015 AD- Earth - Lancaster - Pennsylvania  (Memory screen)_  
The screen flickered to show them picking up a very sandy pair of boys and a giggling Daria, at the end of the day, the driving back to the Mennonite place. Despite Daria's ominous warnings, the screen showed her taking the boys directly to the bathtub proceeding to scrub the sand and grime out of them. "I'll tell Igor" said Little Yuri in John's mind and the screen switched to Igor chatting up a tourist in the bar across the Mennonite shop, then to Stephan brushing his teeth while Daria helped Little Yuri brush his. It doesn't look like you two brush teeth that often" said Daria to Little Yuri

"What did you expect with Igor in charge ?" said John in her mind. "Good morning by the way" he added

"Oh hi spy!" said Daria. I think we will stay around here today, the lady here said there is a bus to a small Amish town that we can visit and I think it will be fun for the kids. You and Igor get to conspire without us spoiling your evil plans" she added reprovingly.

"Oi woman, not evil. Just not entirely honest. Besides we are stealing from people who explore the poor saps that come here to gamble. So in a way we are like Robin Hood. Taking from the rich to give to the poor: the kids need to eat, you know ?" he said unhappily

"The kids need a lot more than food. They barely brush their teeth, had tons of dirt encrusted grime on them, have never been to school... Can they even read ? This life Igor is giving them is not kid friendly" said Daria hotly

"You get no argument from me  woman. I'm not the one dragging this kids all over the world. And I was not the one who rescued them from abusive parents and a radioactive whorehouse near Chernobyl. Igor is a bit rough around the edges but he truly cares for the kids and has been there for them when no one else was.. Little Yuri told me his mom sold him to a pair of men who owned a brothel and took off, letting him stranded and with  terrible future ahead. Igor saved him and the boy just adores him" said John

"Mphh. I guess I misjudged him them. But still... He is not the best at raising young kids. He barely remembers to feed them!" complained Daria

_2015 AD- Earth - Atlantic City  (Memory screen)_  
The screen flickered to show a surprised John in Atlantic city getting Daria's voice in his mind. "John, we missed the bus back from the Amish farm can you drive here to get us ?" she pleaded and sent him a mind image of her phone screen showing her whereabouts. "You need to get yourself a smart phone" she said as she told him the directions her phone was giving.

"What so Uncle Sam can track my every move ? No ma'm!" he said chuckling as he drove towards the farm, leaving Igor scouting the blackjack table.

_2015 AD- Earth - Lancaster - Pennsylvania  (Memory screen)_  
John arrived at the farm half an hour later to a beautiful sunset, Daria pushing Little Yuri's wheelchair and holding Stephan who was asleep hugging her neck while she supported him on her arms. She looked like a young mother caring for two exhausted kids, her long hair flowing towards the sunset.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Oh John, mom was so pretty!" said Shany with a strained voice.

"I told you that you would like this part. Your mom was simply amazing that weekend, caring for the kids. I knew she would make a great mom to someone some day" said John and he thought "If she had the chance, she would have been every bit as good to you love. I know it deep in my heart" knowing that Shany was reading him. Her eyes brimmed with tears.

_2015 AD- Earth - Lancaster - Pennsylvania  (Memory screen)_  
The screen flickered to the next day, the boys brushing their teeth and Daria coming downstairs with Stephan holding her hand and Little Yuri holding his. Igor looked at them for what seemed an eternity but said nothing. Little Yuri looked down unhappily. "What was that about ?" asked John in their mind.

"Nothing, Igor just worries that people want to take advantage of me and Stephan" said Little Yuri.

"Take advantage ? I haven't asked for you two to do a single thing for me!" said Daria outraged. "Except for bathing and brushing teeth because you two were a little ripe, you know ? P U!" she added making a mental image of herself fainting holding her nose, which made Stephan chuckle. Even Little Yuri smiled.

The screen showed Igor and John arriving back at the shop at sunset, picking up Daria and the kids. The shop owner gave Daria some Tupperware with roasted chicken, shoo fly pie and a jar of lemonade for the road and Daria hugged her thankful for the road snack. They drove all night dropping Daria home and then Igor drove out with John and the kids.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"Daria had offered her bed for the kids, there was no need for them to drive all night either, the lady on the shop would have taken them one extra night but Igor seemed keen on separating Daria from the boys" said John. "I figured he was a bit jealous but... Ah never mind, you will see" he said unhappily. "Kato, why don't you tell this last part ? You saw a lot more of it than I did." he said taking the mind net off and passing it to Kato.

"Why John thank you very much, I get to relive the worst moment of my life on screen and to top that I get to show my daughter the bloody thing!" said Kato annoyed.

"Dad, please ?" pleaded Shany.

"Oh very well but John is a gutless coward" said Kato still annoyed.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York - 5th Avenue McDonalds (Memory screen)_  
The screen showed the  six "specials" eating breakfast at McDonalds, the two boys looking like they just bathed.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"It seems Igor got the message that he needed to be more "fatherly" no ? " asked Shany.

Kato sighed "Perhaps. He definitely had noticed he had competition on the kids' affection. Stephan ran to hug Daria every time they met and Little Yuri seemed to be smiling a bit more, particularly when he was out of Igor's eyesight." he said. "We all thought it was just a little jealousy ad that it would go away" he said sighing again.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York - 5th Avenue McDonalds (Memory screen)_  
The screen showed a newspaper with an article about Perry Rodhan coming to the United Nations headquarters in New York for a conference about the Arkonids and how their technology could help Earth.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"After the arkonids had eradicated the Ebola pandemic just a year before, people were very interested in what he had to say but Perry had been cautious as to what he and the Arkons would commit to do" said John

"Ya, he already had a plan in place to unite the world and he didn't want to just make the Arkons slaves to a fractured, warring Earth community. In his mind first the world had to unite under a single government, then he and the Arkons could help. To help individual nations would promote division and jealousy and might make things even worse than before he found the Arkons in space" said Kato

"How do you know so much about Perry's plans from before he met us ?" asked John.

"Daria told me" said Kato

_2015 AD- Earth - New York - 5th Avenue McDonalds (Memory screen)_  
the screen showed an excited Igor on the screen telling the others of his plan to meet Perry Rodhan on the first day of the conference and make him help Little Yuri.

"Igor, Igor, slow down pal... Of course Perry will help, didn't he just help cure 250 million people with Ebola ?" said John. "Chill man! The way you keep talking about "making" Perry help might even jinx us." he added

"Ya Igor, there will be nothing to it, I'll teleport you to Perry's side and you will ask him" said Kato.

"What if he says no ?" asked Igor glaring at them.

"Look, a guy you never saw in your life pops at your side talking about some kid.. Perry might get spooked. I'm not saying he will!" said John raising both hands in front of him as a shield. "Chill man. I'm just telling you it might, MIGHT happen" John added. "And if it does it isn't the end of the world, we just need to get him to calm down and explain things to him." John said.

"Igor if Perry gets spooked, I will teleport you and him to where we are so you and me and John and the kids can show him we need hep and mean him no harm" said Kato

"What is crucial is that we maintain our cool. We know we mean him no harm, we know it is a good cause, and we know no one would refuse to help a sick kid" said John

"Igor you need to listen to them, there is no need to think of "making" Perry do things. Of course he will help. All you have to do is keep calm and show you mean him and the Arconids no harm. Sugar catches a lot more flies than vinegar" said Daria and Igor glared at her. He was still jealous of her rapport with the boys. "Look I will be at work that day but Kato can bring me in if you guys think I can help convincing Perry to help. As it is I think it will be good to have less people, we don't want him to feel we are ganging up on him" she added"

"Ya, ya it will be good for you to stay out of it. Go to your work" said Igor looking weirdly at Daria. " We will call you if we need you, Dar" said Kato

_2015 AD- Earth - New York - UN Headquarters - outside (Memory screen)_  
The screen dissolved and showed the UN headquarters, decorated with a multitude of flags and crowded with people coming to get a glimpse of the astronaut and his alien friends.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"John had managed to "borrow" some passes from a Croatian delegation which would get the 3 adults inside the building. From there I could teleport the boys inside. We had all agreed that it was crucial that Perry saw the kids. Igor was spooky even in the best of days, appearing from mid air asking for help for  an invisible kid he would not have a chance of convincing Perry of his good intentions. The kids would defuse the situation and would also ensure Igor behaved more carefully, we all thought" said Kato

"If I had told you of that  night when a drunken Igor threatened to burn New York to the ground to force Perry to help..." said John in a sad voice

"John it wasn't your fault mate. I even think you managed to get Igor to hold off on a lot of crazy while you two were together. He certainly managed to  look a little bit like just a guy very keen on helping kids he loved as his own, I don't think he could have ever pulled that off without you there to mellow him out"  said Kato

"Stop with all the woulda coulda shoulda and show me what happened" said Shany and Kato obliged, making the screen show the inside of the UN building. "Perry was already inside, having arrived through the roof, in secret" said Kato.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York - UN Headquarters - outside (Memory screen)_  
"He's inside. He is coming to the 3rd floor conference room on an elevator" said John on their mind. "No sign of the aliens. I think. Not sure I can read their minds. But someone would sure be thinking about them if they were in the building or the elevator. Ah yes, the US Ambassador is disappointed the Arconids aren't here. He wanted to talk with them behind Perry's back, the weasel!" he added.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York - UN Headquarters - 3rd floor (Memory screen)_  
The screen flickered as Kato first took John then the kids then Igor to the 3rd floor.

"Next time take me first or I burn you to cinders" whispered Igor to Kato as he teleported the brutish man to a corridor where the others stood. Kato frowned.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"I could see he wasn't going to be calm and had started to regret the whole thing" said Kato. "But it was already too late" he added

_2015 AD- Earth - New York - UN Headquarters - 3rd floor (Memory screen)_  
the screen showed Perry Rodhan in a podium while John pushed Litte Yuri into the room, Stephan right behind him. There was a flicker in the air near Perry and Igor and Kato appeared. Igor immediately lept towards Perry

"Hey mister Perry, I need your help with my stepson Yuri there" said Igor as he pointed at Yuri's wheelchair.

"I... Please contact my office, there are people there trained to answer those situations and they will put you in contact with our charity organization" said Perry startled at the pair of men who appeared out of thin air

"Now listen here mister Perry.." started Igor red with anger to what John promptly "mind shouted" to Igor "Chill Igor, remember we talked about that ? Perry is just startled. Calm down and show him we mean him no harm man". Perry looked at John even more startled and Little Yuri said in surprise "He's one of us. A telepath like me and Daria!"

Guards poured through the door and circled the podium while John protested "Hey, I'm a telepath too!" he said to Little Yuri. Stephan's lips went white as he started making guards fly through the air, their weapons falling to the floor bent into pretzels. "Wow that is amazing Stephan, you missed one near the door there" added John.

"Daria's place. Me and Perry. NOW" said Igor grabbing Kato's and Perry's arm. A startled Kato complied

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)_  
the screen showed Daria's place. Kato pushed Perry away from them and immediately teleported him and Igor again, to Daria's hospital.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Mercy Hospital (Memory screen)_  
A furious Igor started to protest but Kato stared him down. "Burn me and you will never see Perry again" he said as he frantically looked for Daria. Luckily she was very near and came running into the room they were.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat - corridor (Memory screen)_  
"Kato what the hell ?" Daria was saying as she, Igor and Kato appeared in front of a startled Perry who was all the way to Daria's building corridor when they got there. Kato brought him back and left.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"I went to get Little Yuri. If anyone could calm things down it was the boy. Perry would see why we were kidnapping him and Igor would no want to look bad in front of Yuri" said Kato. When I got back Igor and Daria were already screaming at each other.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)_  
"Are you insane ? You can kidnap people to force them to help you. And no you can't burn them into a crisp either" she said to Igor. Flames leaped out from his finger and singed the spot she was but she had moved.

"You bitch! Get out of my mind! I'll burn you to a crisp bitch!" screamed Igor shooting flames at Daria but she seemed to always know where he was aiming.

"Igor stop!" shouted Little Yuri in their minds, so loud it hurt their temples. Perry rubbed his temples puzzled looking at the scene while he moved towards the door. Flames leaped towards him but Daria had tackled Igor so they shot past Perry hitting her shower curtain which immediately caught on fire. The smoke alarms started blaring

"Well done genius, you will get us all arrested" said Daria to Igor, while she said to Perry's and the others minds "Stay put. You are in extreme danger. For the love of God stay put and let me and Yuri put some sense into Igor" she pleaded Perry. "Kato get John and Stephan before they get arrested or worse" she mind shouted to Kato.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
"This part I didn't see" said Kato. But Daria and Perry told me that Igor lost all his self control as things took a turn to the worse. He started yelling at little Yuri. "You don't tell me to stop! I saved you! I raised you. Not this bitch. I am the one who watches out for you. You don't tell me to stop. I'll kill her, she is a bad influence on you. Just like your mom!" And then Daria and Little Yuri recoiled in horror as they read his mind. Yuri's mom had not "sold him and abandoned him". She had refused to sell him to Igor and he burned her alive.

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)_  
The screen flickered and showed Kato appearing in the room with John and Stephan, as Daria screamed. "Oh my God you are a psychopath! You killed his mom to steal Yuri from her!"

"Bitch stay out of my mind. Yuri, she is lying.. she is putting things on my mind, I never did that, what she said. She is making up lies and putting them on my head.. " said Igor trying to get Little Yuri to still believe him.

"And how would she know what my mom looked like ? What she sounded like as she screamed for me while you burned her alive ?" said Little Yuri putting himself between Daria and Igor. "I know your mind Igor. I know you had a dark room you never showed me. I thought it was just pain and anger. But now I know it was.. What you did to my mom and Stephan's parents! You bastard, you burned them too!" said Little Yuri crying

"Heh you watch how you talk to met boy. You and Stephan are special. You belong to me. I'm the king of special. I can and have killed many people with my gift. I'm going to be your king and you will all bow to me. Or die screaming like this bitch" screamed Igor, shooting a gigantic fireball at Daria.

"Little Yuri, No!" Daria screamed as the boy used all his strength to jump in the way, getting the full blast of the fireball in his chest. She jumped behind him to pull him back but something pulled her back flat against the wall, preventing her from getting burned on the flames that were reducing Little Yuri's body to a charred stump.

"Now look what you made me do bitch!" roared Igor as he closed his eyes in concentration. He never got to deploy his last attack though. At that exact moment he was thrown against her window with massive force shattering the glass and falling down to the pavement 7 floors below. Stephan slumped to the floor crying. "It was too late Daria, you couldn't save him, so I saved you" said the little boy crying.

A stunned silence enveloped the room, only Stephan's sobs producing any noise. "Yuri, oh my God, not him..." sobbed Daria in a low voice, hugging the charred remains of the boy, not caring a bit how hot they were.

"Dar... Dar you can't help him anymore. You need to go dress those burns in your arms and hands" said Kato touching his friend gently.

"I see I get no thanks and no wound dressing even though I put out the fire on the shower and the other fires Igor started" said John. "Typical, I do all the work and others get the glory" he added making faces.

"I seem to remember I helped you" said Perry Rodhan making them all turn to him and remember the deep shit they were on.

"Oh Lordy I had forgotten you were here" said Daria rubbing her tear filled eyes. "Look, arrest me and the guys, do all you want with us but please leave Stephan out of it. He is just a kid and he was kidnapped by Igor, just as you were." she said

"I know, I saw it. He killed his parents" said Perry

"You saw it ???" said Daria looking at him intently.

"He is a telepath too Daria. Of yours and Yuri's brand apparently, the sneaky kind. Yuri had told me" said John

_2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)_  
At this moment a helicopter showed up at the window with 4 armed soldiers. "Move away from Mr Rodhan" said one of them in a megaphone.

"No Stephan, don't hurt them" said Daria. "They won't take me away from you, just calm down before someone else gets hurt Stephan" she pleaded. She looked at Perry and her mind said "Do something or the boy will kill all four. He is scared to death and not thinking straight. He is only 7 years old and you saw what kind of night he had. Get them out of here."

"Commander please leave. I'm quite safe here, the criminal who did all this mayhem has just fallen to his death as you can see down below" shouted Perry.

"Are you sure sir ?" the soldier asked

"Positive. Please tell the others I'll be getting down soon" said Perry

"Thank you" said Daria as she went to check on Stephan. The poor boy was in shock and exhausted. She brushed his hair from his face an started telling him how so brave he had been saving all of them and caressing his hair and head and pretty soon the boy hugged her sobbing himself to sleep. Meanwhile Kato and John looked at Perry expectantly.

"Look man, Daria is innocent, she wasn't even there at the UN" said John.

"Is true, she was working tonight, I brought her here to see if she could talk Igor out of his madness, but she wasn't even involved in the planning" said Kato lying about Daria's lack of involvement in the planning of the UN thing.

"Is no use lying, he can read you dumbass" said John to Kato. "Look yes we all planned to meet you at the UN. But not one of us wanted to kidnap you. The plan was just to talk to you. God's honest truth, you can read me, you know I'm not lying" John told Perry.

"I can read you. But how ? I've always been able to sense what people where up to but never something like this. Is like I'm staring into an open window into your thoughts. Did you do something to me ?" asked Perry

"No, it's telepathic resonance, I think" said Daria in a low voice, not wanting to wake up Stephan.

"Resonance ??" asked all 3 surprised.

"Well.. is like this, Yuri and me and Perry are the same kind of telepath so when we are near each other our individual abilities get stronger. Like we are all playing on the same key on an instrument.. Meh.. I'm afraid only Perry will understand the math behind it so trust me, the simplest way to explain is that telepaths of the same kind reinforce each other's powers. With 3 of us in the room, Perry's abilities got a big jump, even mine did. I wasn't able to read Igor well before tonight. A lot would have been different if I had been able.. " she added and hugged Stephan tighter looking at Yuri's charred remains and swallowing hard.

"It wasn't your fault, the man was insane" said Perry in a gentle voice. "Perhaps the fault was mine. If I had just listened instead of trying to push you guys to talk to an underling..." he added.

"No that would not have stopped Igor. You read him as well as I did. His plans were a lot different than just talk. He wanted to make an army of "specials" with him lording over them. And you and your alien friends cowering somewhere in a dungeon" said Daria

"You serious ? That bastard! No wonder he threatened me with bloody murder if I ever read him" said John

"Well I have to go down or the police will come up again" said Perry.

"What about us ? Can we pick the jail we go to ? I heard San Quentin has good grub" said John resigned to his fate and trying to joke to cheer up Daria and Kato

"I'm not sending you guys to jail. As a matter of fact, if you guys are interested, I would like to hire you to be part of my team" said Perry.

"Say what ???" said John astounded

"Igor was insane but he was right about one thing. An army of "specials" is a very powerful thing to have. And at the moment I find myself in need of some special powers, with every country on Earth wanting to kidnap my two alien friends and torture all their secrets out of them. Don't you think for a moment that Igor was the only one who thought of the idea of using my friends alien technology for evil goals. There are a lot of Igor's out there though I do hope the rest come in a less powerful package. That last attack he was preparing.. I saw it in his mind. Not pretty" Perry said and shuddered.

"Would I be allowed to stay near Stephan ?" asked Daria

"Yes, for as long as you and him want to" said Perry

"I'm in. Kato ?" asked Daria

"Dar of course I'm in" said Kato

"John ?" she asked

"OH I'm the last one to be invited ? How rude!" said John

"I invited all of you at the same time, don't look at me" chuckled Perry

"Just kidding mate, of course I'm in. Someone has gotta keep Daria and Kato out of trouble" said John

"Well then please come downstairs with me, I'll get my men to put you in a clean hotel room and send someone to.. fix the window and the place. And collect the boy's remains for burial if you think he would have liked that" said Perry looking at Yuri's charred remains sadly

"That would be nice, thanks mate" said John swallowing hard.

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters_  
Kato looked away from the screen, pushing back tears.

"And that was the start of Perry Rodhan's team of Psy people. John Daria and I formed a training center for "specials" and went searching for them all over the world as you might have heard once or twice" said Kato taking off the mind net. He looked at Shany and she was weeping softly. John was looking down, his eyes hidden from view.

"So what happened to Stephan ? And when did mom start teaching at the Academy" asked Shany

"Oi woman you are insatiable! Please let us go to bed. We will continue this another day, I promise" said John his eyes red from tears he refused to let fall

_2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - Med Bay_  
Perry stirred on the regen pod, and they heard his voice in their minds "And tomorrow I can tell you guys more about when I met Daria, which was long before those sad events in New York"

"Say what ? How ? When ?" asked John and Kato surprised

"Well I say "met" but we never met face to face" said Perry

"You don't say ! You can't be... Major Tom ?" said Kato looking at Perry amazed

"Yes, the one and only" said Perry

"Dad ?" asked Shany puzzled

"Your mom's best friend online. They chatted on IM for hours every night..." he said


	4. Perry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Story shifts back to 2015, the year Perry Rodhan meets the Arkonids.
> 
> Perry Rodhan and Reginald Bull are astronauts on the international space station. An accident leaves Perry stranded floating away from the station, with a frantic Bull trying to recover him. A compassionate alien, Crest, tries to help causing Perry to find his shuttle "parked" in HEO (High Earth Orbit).

**readthemNweep** : So anyway, they will be transferring some Ebola patients here soon. I'm dreading it but what can I do ?

 **MajorTom** : Ouch! Stay safe rtnw Ebola sounds nasty. Are you afraid ?

 **readthemNweep** : Of course. But I'm used to be around deathly stuff. I'm just dreading all the procedures we will have to go through. It's going to take 2 hours to take a patient's temperature! We will have to team up in pairs and monitor each other putting on and taking off all the gear, sounds like a pain in the butt!

( _Perry chuckles as he has to do exactly that every time he goes outside his airlock, alas he can't really tell rtnw that_ )  
 **MajorTom** : Can't be that bad! Just do things slowly and methodically and you will be fine kid.

 **readthemNweep** : Kid.. Like you are oh so much older than me. I bet you are a pimple faced teenager pretending to be someone from the military!

 **MajorTom** : You got me oh 85 year old butcher from South Dakota pretending to be a young New York nurse taking pre-med at NYU. Anyhow, why are they transferring patients to your hospital, aren't you guys on the other side of Manhattan ?

 **readthemNweep** : Ya but we have a class 4 biohazard lab and PCR equipment and those are ideal to diagnose and deal with Ebola blood samples. Not many of those around...

 **readthemNweep** : It just sucks salty donkey balls, this Ebola thing. Don't we have enough trouble in the world already ? Financial meltdown, recession, global warming... The way things are going humanity might not even get to 2020 the new fashionable "End of the World" date.

 **MajorTom** : What's on 2020 ? Last I heard we would all die on 2038 when a comet hits Earth. ( _Which incidentally wasn't far from the truth thought Perry, Comet S054 was going to pass very close to Earth and that was one of the reasons he and the others were up here in the International Space Station. To find a way to bomb or push the debris far from Earth. Funny how in a world awash in a great recession no one thought it was strange that nations all over the Earth were sending astronauts to the ISS and spending a ton of money to revamp it_ )

 **readthemNweep** : Nah that will just brush close to the Earth or so I've heard. 2020 is the new and revised Mayan calendar date of our demise. You would think that people got enough of the Mayan calendar nonsense in 2012. Or the millennium. Or the super volcanoes in California. Or the sun spots that would fry earth on 2012. Meanwhile Global Warming will kick our beehives and people are oblivious to it. I think people feel that we have serious problems but get so overwhelmed by the complexity of them, like Global Warming, that they go for this nonsense of Mayan calendar and other myths as a way to express their fear. Might as well talk about Nostradamus and Mayan Gods, at least they are simple to understand: It's magic oooga-booga, there is nothing to debate there.

 **MajorTom** : That is a good point. Everyone knows things are not going well in a lot of areas in our Earth, but no one seems to have a solution or even know how to talk about the real issues. It's frustrating, there is so much to be worried about and so little that can be done that people resort to inventing things to fear. Which achieves nothing.

 **readthemNweep** : I wouldn't say they achieve nothing, they serve as a good money source for the con artists selling survival kits and gold bouillon!

( _Perry chuckled at reading that. Rtnw could always lift his mood even when he felt himself despair at the problems humanity was facing_ )

 **readthemNweep** : But you know what ? I think even those con artists and the people buying gold are achieving something. It is something to DO Major. All the rest, the real problems there is practically nothing an individual person can do. How do you prepare for Global Warming ? Buy a fan ? How do you prepare for the end of cheap oil ? Store barrels at home ? Those are all such massive problems we are left with no hope of tackling them - as a person. Buying gold, building a shelter, learning the Mayan alphabet, crafting a tinfoil hat are silly but they make the person feel they are doing something. The worst part of today's problems is this sense that we have no hope of solving them alone.

 **MajorTom** : Wow rtNw I think you nailed it. People are devoid of hope and feeling alone. No wonder your president got elected on "Hope & Change". How's HopeyChangey working for ya ?

 **readthemNweep** : Why very well thank you very much. At least he believes in science and doesn't want to pray away the problems like your guy.

 **MajorTom** : What "my guy" ? You don't even know what country I'm in...

 **readthemNweep** : Well can't be US with the hours you keep. It's 3AM in NY now. Eeek! I have a class in 4 hours! Meh... I'll just sit on the back and pretend I'm listening. But what I meant by "your guy" is that military all over the world are always conservative and old fashioned and religious.

 **MajorTom** : LOL, how would you know ? Don't believe everything you read in those liberal rags of yours. I bet you have never even met someone in the military for more than 5 minutes. There are a lot of very smart people among us and some of us are just as worried about the real problems as you are. It's just like you said, some problems are just too big and complex. There is very little anyone can do and with all the warring factions and divisions of nowadays countries on Earth things get even harder to fix. 

 **readthemNweep** : Ya, people keep raging about a New World Order but an united planed Earth would make us have a tiny hope of solving some of our bigger problems. Problem is no one would trust a world wide government. And being united is just the first step, we would need massive progresses on technology and science to be able to do anything useful.

 **MajorTom** : I hear you. Is enough to make someone lose sleep. Shouldn't you go to bed right now ? Back seat or not, the class will not help you if you snooze your way through it.

 **readthemNweep** : Sure "dad"... Just kidding, you are right, I should go to bed. Good night and stay safe on that flying tin can...

 **MajorTom** : Tin can ? ( _Perry frowned.. did she figure out where he was chatting from ? He was using Thor but a skilled hacker could_...)

 **readthemNweep** : Here am I floating round my tin can Far above the Moon... Planet Earth is blue And there's nothing I can do... Did you forget you are my Space Oddity ?

 **MajorTom** : Oh. Silly me. Good night, and take it easy with those Ebola procedures. Take your time, do it one step at a time and double check everything ok ? There's nothing to it if you just have the attention span to go through each step. Trust me. I've done stuff like that in the past.

 **readthemNweep** : Not even gonna ask, I know you can't tell me or you would have to kill me.. :p  Good night. I will be careful, I promise.

Perry closed his laptop chuckling. Rtnw was one of his favorite online friends. She was right, humanity needed hope. He sighed wearily, sipping juice from the juice pack on his night meal. He should probably head over to his bunk too, there was nothing he could do to help Earth right now and tomorrow he would have to suit up and go outside the station to replace some solar panels. He looked at the little view port to his right, hoping to see Earth but a thick layer of clouds hid from him the "blue marble" that was earth seen from space. Disappointed he just went to sleep.

The next day saw a frantic Daria almost missing her bus. She wished she could impose on Kato to teleport her to Uni but he had had to leave early for his shift so the bus it was. And excruciatingly boring lecture after lecture followed. Well she didn't know if they were boring or not, truth to be told as she had snoozed past most of them. She would have to borrow her friend's notes for the day and study hard later. ZZzz. What possessed her to stay up that late, she lamented, knowing full well that there was no way she would miss the chance to chat with MajorTom. He was a rare treat nowadays, as he was rarely online lately and when he did sign in it was at the oddest hours. She missed the days they spent hours debating solutions and issues of today's problematic world. Ah well staying up had been worth it, he was always so intense! smart and funny and intense as always and she got to call him "my Space Oddity"! She wondered if he looked more like David Bowie or Chris Hadfield. Meh, probably neither, he probably was portly bald Sargent in an obscure corner of Earth and here she was fangirling over a online handle, she chided herself and went to the library find a kind soul that would lend her today's class notes.

Perry woke up excited about his space walk mission.It would be hard work and dangerous but he would be lying if he didn't say he lived for those times in space where he felt he was a part of the universe. There was simply nothing like it. The day passed slowly with all the preparation steps for the mission and Bull chiding him for still using the public Internet.

"Is a security issue Perry. How do you know this nurse is who she says she is ? She could be a Chinese operative priming you for confidential information. She could be infecting your laptop with viruses.. She could not even be  a she! Don't you remember that football player who fell in love with a woman only to find out he had been chatting to an underage man ? Is called "catfishing", look it up.  You are way too old to be having online friends like a teenager!" said Bull, repeating an oft given sermon

Perry rolled his eyes. Bull could be a pain in the arse sometimes. Of course he had checked rtnw's ip address and the existence of a nurse at Mercy Hospital going to NYU. And he wasn't a teenager, he never talked about classified subjects. Not that rtnw asked, she seemed genuinely only interested in talking about today's issues and venting about her day to day life and discussing science fiction and 70s music. If she was a Chinese "catfish" she was sure wasting her time on him. Bah! He lost count.. What was the step they had just checked again ?

"Perry you are distracted, pay attention to what I'm saying buddy" complained Bull

"I would if you weren't nagging me to death. How about we just focus on the mission" replied Perry grumpily

"Fine. Evac suit seal, check" said Bull

"Check" replied Perry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to expand this chapter soon, with Perry finding the Arkonids. Leaving the beginning of the chapter as a place holder for now


	5. Psy Academy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John, Kato and Daria start working for Perry and form an academy to teach people with Psychic powers on how to use them better. Stephan joins them as Daria's foster child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had initially thought to make Stephan be "Steve", a strong telekinesis guy in Perry Rodhan's psy team, but I needed a reason for Daria to leave the academy so I made her be the one raising Stephan. I'm still debating with myself if I'm going to make him die in the Vega adventures or let him marry and have grand kids but he will slowly leave the story.

Perry made the screen flicker and show a spartan office, atop one of the newer NY buildings. Bull and a younger looking Rodhan were standing there.  
"Absolutely not Perry!" said Bull angrily. "You are asking me to trust those bastards that kidnapped you? Are you insane ?" he added fuming  
"Bull they never touched a hair on my head. As a matter of fact the woman even attacked Igor, risking her life, to save me from a flame blast" said Perry. Besides the point is moot, they should be arriving here just about now" Perry added as the air shimmered and Kato and Daria showed up in front of them. Bull's hand instinctively went to his pistol.  
"Don't do that when the boy shows up, he might hurt you" Daria said looking sternly at Bull. Her voice could be heard on the screen, the timbre of it a bit off, indicating she was speaking telepathically to Bull. "Perry, did you not tell Mr Security here what poor Stephan has been through lately ? The poor kid is not thinking straight, his brother just died right in front of him!" she added glaring at both. Kato flickered off the room and came back bringing a tearful 7 year old boy who immediately ran to stand by Daria's side. She was still glaring at a disconcerted Bull when Kato came back with John.

"Hey earthlings, how's life treating ya ? " said a yawning John looking around curiously. He read the red faced man who was with Perry and whistled "Goh-lee, do you kiss your mom with that mouth ?! Listen Mr Suspicious, Perry invited us here! And before you manage to draw that thing Stephan here would tear it to bits" John added in plain voice, foolishly. No sooner John spoke than Bull was floating upside down near the roof of the room, his pistol smashed to bits on the floor.  
"John what the hell ?!" said Daria angrily, then she turned to Stephan. "Put him down Steph.. He was just startled. Weren't you startled the first time Kato "jumped" near you ? Put him down sweetie, we are quite safe here" she pleaded and the young boy yielded, lowering Bull slowly atop a couch.  
"Perry!" blubbered a furious Bull, not daring to talk and get the freaky boy to dangle him on the air again. The minibar opened and a bottle of whiskey floated out of it, landing on the table near Bull.  
"Take it, it is Stephan's peace offering" chuckled John. "Hey you never gave me whiskey, how come he gets it ?" John mock asked Stephan.  
"He didn't dangle YOU on the air" said Daria. "Besides it was all your fault, what kind of asinine idea was to pretty much order Stephan to attack the poor guy ?" she added and took Stephan to the adjacent room, turning on the morning cartoons for him to watch.

"Gentleman please!" said Perry, tying to defuse the situation. He turned to Bull who was looking wearily at the young boy watching cartoons like a normal 7 year old. "As you can see Bull, they were quite capable of hurting me had they wanted to. And not just the boy. Kato, the asian guy, could have teleported me to mid air then released me to fall to my death."  
"What ?! I'd never do that to anyone, Mr Rodhan!" protested Kato shocked.  
"I know Kato. You were in mortal danger and you didn't do it to Igor either" said Perry  
"I... The thought never even occurred to me, I swear... " said Kato disturbed  
"Would you have done it, if you had thought of it ? To Igor, I mean ?" asked Perry intently"  
"Even knowing what I know now about Igor.. Killing someone, I'm not sure I'm ready for it" said Kato somber, looking down  
"That may be what I need from you, in the future. Have no illusions, in spite of your special powers and the arkonids technology we will all be in danger many times. I need to know if you are ready for it" said Perry calmly  
"Kato... Would you have let Igor kill me, if you had thought of a way to save me ?" asked Daria.  
"Of course not Dar.. But the thought of killing a person.. takes some getting used to" said Kato  
"Then get used to. We need to. Even if we don't join Mr Rodhan, we are "special". There will be other Igor's trying to manipulate and use us. We can't always depend on a 7 year old to save us. It's not right!" said Daria passionately. She continued in low voice "Heavens know what price this poor boy will carry for having had to kill at such young age, for seeing Yuri die. We failed him Kato, we adults all failed him. We need to be better at protecting him and others like him".  
Kato looked dejectedly at Daria with tears in his eyes "Dar.. I didn't know.. I thought Igor loved the boys.. And when I saw Igor trying to hurt you, I was kind of frozen in place. It never even crossed my mind to do what Perry said. I wish it had, knowing what I know today.. you are right, I had to do it and I failed you and the kids.. I'm sorry Dar.. I.." he stopped and held Daria's hands while tears fell down his face.  
"I opened my heart and my mind to her, showing how truly deeply sorry I was, how I would give anything to fix it" said today's Kato with a lump on his throat.  
"John and I heard all of it, with Daria in the room I could read people and Kato had not learned how to block John yet, so we saw it all Kato" said today's Perry in their minds.  
A young Perry touched Kato's shoulder and said "Listen.. Daria is right we all failed the kids. I failed too. I was so suspicious of people wanting the Arkonids technology, so caught up in my high horse of getting the world fixed.. I never even listened to what Igor wanted, to me he was just a nuisance, someone asking for free help, I never looked at the boy in the wheelchair, I never truly considered helping a poor kid who needed my help. I'm ashamed of it" said Perry  
"Perry.. Igor was lying, curing Little Yuri was just a decoy for his true plans.." said Daria  
"Maybe Igor had an agenda and maybe it was all going to happen anyway but the fact is that I acted callously and escalated a situation. I deserve as much blame as any of you" said Perry sadly. "It's like I forgot who am I fixing the world for. I want a new world, a new future for Earth, for the PEOPLE of Earth. For the kids, for the millions of people who live their life decently and try to survive in this trying times. For the Little Yuri's and Darias and Katos and even the John's, ..." said Perry, his eyes shinning with his visions for the future  
"Hey, what is it with "even the John's" I resent that!" said young John mockingly stabbing his own chest.  
"He meant even the womanizing card cheats" said Daria winking at John  
"I'll have you know I never lied to any woman. Sure I meet a lot of them, but I never promised them anything I can't deliver on!" said John crossly  
"Oh you mean that you haven't boken my friend Mary's heart ?" said Daria glaring at him  
"Oi woman, I've explained it to you already... I never told her we were dating, I never said I was going to call her back. Is it my fault she thought we would live happily ever after with 4.5 kids and a mortgage ? I'm not the dating kind!" said John

 

"If I could interrupt your soap opera for just a minute ?" Bull stood up and said "It seems obvious to me that Perry is right. You guys aren't a danger to him. You aren't a danger to anyone right now, unless you count getting people bored to death..." he added. It was obvious the only one with the foggiest idea about combat was the boy. But it was also obvious that a trained team with those special powers would be a great asset. "You could be powerful allies to our cause, if you chose to use your powers to more than getting laid, cheating at cards and kidnapping. So Perry how do you propose turning this band of misfits into soldiers ?" Bull asked

"Well right now I think we can use John and Daria and perhaps Kato for intelligence work. One of them should always be with me or you, to scan the minds of people in our room and see if there are threats or cheating planed" said Perry

"Oh yeah on that UN assembly there were at least 3 countries hoping to steal the Akonids from your grasp. Including the US ambassador" said John chuckling.

"Precisely.. It will be very useful to have you around us John" said Perry. "For Daria and Kato I was thinking they could go look for more "specials". We need someone like Stephan, but an adult. And another teleporter would also be something useful" he added

"Please don't call us "specials" it reminds me of Igor" said Daria. "How about psychics ? We are all using our brains, our "psyche" to power and control our powers" she added

"Psychics is a good name. Why do I get the impression you know a lot about this ?" said Perry looking intently at Daria

"Well, when I realized I could read people's minds I decided to use my Biology major to study the phenomenon. I did a lot of brain scans, MRI and other stuff on me and Kato and I think I can at least pinpoint the areas of the brain where the "psy" impulse starts. I also have been studying the brain chemistry involved.." she added

"She is not kidding, she poked me me so much for blood samples I started thinking I lived with a vampire for roommate" said Kato.

"Oh you are going to love the Arkonids lab then Daria. They have some amazing med tech, they say is from a cousin species from the Akonids that specializes in medicine technology" said Perry. Daria's eyes started shining with excitement at the possibility of expanding her research. "Do you have any ideas on where to look for more "psy" people ?" asked Perry

"So far I have seen it is related to major nuclear or chemical accidents. I mean Kato grew up near the Fukushima plant, I grew up in Goiania, the Brazilian town that had a cesium-137 leak.  Yuri and Igor were raised near Chernobyl. John here was raised on the bayou, near that toxic soup on the Mexican gulf. Remember the BP accident ? That was only the biggest leak, there were hundreds of other leaks not reported on the press.. " said Daria. "Still haven't been able to pinpoint Stephan.. I had thought he was "Chernobyl offspring" like the others but... recent events have shown Igor stole him from European parents" she said looking down, fighting tears.

"Well that gives us a good place to start. Do you thin you and Kato could go to those places and find more psy people like you ?" asked Perry

"Little Yuri said we "glow" in a special way" added John trying to help.

"Hmm.. that might be helpful John. It is another hint at the fact that tele / psy powers emit some kind of wave" said Daria

"What do you mean ? You mentioned "telepathic resonance"  the other day, is this related ?" asked Perry

"A plus to you sir! Yes it is related. And if we can pinpoint the wavelength we might be able to see it with special instruments... To the right instrument psy people would "glow" just like they did to Little Yuri" she said

"What the hell is telepathic resonance then ?" asked John

"Well... Let's talk about a kid's swing set on a park. Have you ever pushed a kid on a swing John ?" asked Daria.

"Ya, couldn't get kisses on the playground without first pushing the pretty girl high up the swing" he said and ducked when she threw a napkin at him

"Ahem... When you pushed those poor girls, how did you do it ? Did you wait until their swing came towards you to push them away from you ?" she asked

"No, I pushed the.. ahem.. very lucky girls.. only when their swing was already going away from me, so I gave them a push to make them go away even faster" said John.

"Otherwise instead of going higher their swing would stop, if you kept on pushing them contrary to the way the swing was moving, right ?" added Daria

"Right" said John

"Well resonance is something similar.. two waves can make each other stronger, if they are moving on the same direction at the same time, like this" said Daria drawing on a dry erase board on the room's wall

 

as you can see,  in this first drawing, the little waves are moving up when the big wave is going up, and down when the big wave is going down. On the second drawing all 3 waves go up or down about the same time, just like in the first drawing. Like the swing, if you give a push in the right direction, you make the swing go very high. The big wave is actually what could happen to both waves, if you keep "pushing" in the direction of movement. Just as a swing can go very very high if you keep pushing it, resonance can make any wave go a lot higher than the original wave went"  Like when with me and Little Yuri "pushing" Perry's psy, he started to actually read thoughts, not just get an "impression" of what the person is thinking, isn't it right Perry ?" she asked

"Yes, but I'm still able to read and Yuri..." said Perry 

"Well, just as a swing takes a while to stop after you stop pushing it, your psy is still working off all the "push" it got with me and Yuri in the room with you. Also, Yuri and I were under a lot of stress so we probably were operating at the maximum psy we had, and so were you Perry. Your psy should go down to normal in the next few weeks" answered Daria "But your psy will always be higher with me in the room than without me, and so will mine. We build on each other's strengths. I think the fact that all 3 of us were in the room was what finally made Yuri and I able to read Igor's dark secrets". she added

"But why doesn't my psy help you ?" asked John 

"You seem to have a different telepathy than mine and Perry. I can only read people around me up to like 50 feet away. You can read much farther than that, can't you ?" Daria asked

"Yes, I can read people across the street from here, 30 floors down if I want to" said John 

"Even Little Yuri couldn't read that far. He could read me from 100 feet away which was quite impressive, but not further than that" said Daria

"You mean to tell m I could have escaped Igor all this time, just by staying further away from Yuri ?" asked John

"Yup but then you would have left  Yuri and Stephan on the clutches of that psychopath.  Could you do that ?" answered Daria, adding her own question

John sighed embarrassed "I would have, in a second.. at that the time, if I knew" he said honestly.  "But not today. That was the old John, that John died with Little Yuri. I'll never let someone hurt a kid - or anyone - in front of me ever again!" he added determined. "You know, it is corny but Igor made me realize that with power comes responsibility. Even a madman like him had to act responsibly and try to raise his two special kids, or he would lose them and their power. I have this power and if I don't take responsibility for it people will kill and hurt others to use it, I don't have a choice but own up to it" said John finally. 

"Seeing a kid die right in front of me, after having seen the deaths during Katrina... It changed me. I couldn't just go on cheating my way through life. What Perry had said about changing the world, fixing it, for the kids and the day to day people made a lot of sense. I decided that if I survived both Katrina and Igor, then I had to give back, I had to make the world a better place. That day Perry, you got an ally for life out of me" said today's John in a low voice.

"Thanks John, your help has been invaluable those last 150 years. And we did fix some things didn't we ?" said Perry touched.

"Oi stop narrating and singing Kumbaya and show me what happened" chided Daria

 

Bull interrupted young John, impatient.

"So it's settled. Long haired playboy comes with us and you two go hunt for more psy. What happens to the boy ?" he said looking at Stephan asleep in front of the TV.

"I'll take him with me, he needs someone and has no family that we know of. And I kind of got attached to Steph.. We went through so much together already" said Daria

"I was thinking of having him go to a school, does he even know how to read ?" asked Bull

Daria frowned, reading Stephan... "No, now that you mention it, Igor taught the boys English because of his plans but never bothered with teaching anything else" she said

"You are reading Stephan now ? How ? I can't read someone who is asleep! Can you Perry ?" asked John

"Hmmm.. Never tried it before." said Perry

"Give me your hand" said Daria to Perry and she proceeded to send him the images she was seeing of Stephan's memories.

"Yes, now that you showed me how.. Is kind of reading a book, looking for something in the chapters" said Perry surprised at himself

Stephan stirred and John said "See ? When I try he feels it, and I can't see past what he is dreaming of right now. You guys are weird! Sneaky, people can't feel you reading!"

"I think our stuff is more passive.. We read memories, and images. You actually enter the person's mind, people feel your presence. At least I feel someone near me when you read me" said Daria. "Raises the hair behind my neck, like there's something in here with me, very near me but I can't see it" she added

"I felt that at the UN, were you reading me there ? On the elevator ?" Perry asked John

"Yup. We were figuring out the best place to bring Igor to talk to you. But we never..." said John, as Perry interrupted

"I know John, lets not remember that tragic day anymore" Perry said. "Daria, you seem to know a lot about the way telepathy works. When we get more psy people we should think of a way for you to teach the new telepaths" 

"Well Bull was talking about a school for Stephan. I don't think he would fit in a regular school. But a psy school would work well. And we are bound to meet more young kids with psy... " said Daria

"And Kato and I could teach the adults. You get the men and I get the ladies" said John with a sly grin

"Pfft.. Not letting you get near a single psy lady you cheat. You get the man and Kato gets the ladies" said Daria

"Oi woman you are decided to not let me have fun!" said John chuckling

 

"After that, Daria and the Arkonidan Crest built a Psy wave detector, then Kato and Daria scoured the Earth to find more psy people. We found Steven, a strong telekinetic, in Germany. To everyone's relief, Steven, who joined their team, was even stronger than Stephan and had been using his psy since very young. There was no need to train him although he and Stephan did trade tricks , with Stephan teaching Steve about how to dismantle weapons by using sheer brute force on them and Steven teaching Stephan about how to make any flat piece of wood into a "hoverboard" that took the wearer floating around (supported by tk) like a skateboard on thin air. Steven had been doing that with a snowboard for most of his life and pretty soon the two were inseparable when "hoverboarding" around Perry's base.

We also found some more teleporters, on Fukushima they found Tako Kakuta, a very strong teleporter, and some more around Chernoby although none as strong as Tako and Kato. They could only teleport short distances and only one girl could teleport carrying someone else with her. A few more telepaths like John were found, and one weak pyrokinetic who could project fire where he wanted, though only a small flame and not balls of fire and mayhem like Igor. To Stephan's delight, they also found two other kids with psy, a shy telepath girl and a 10 year old boy with some telekinesis, just enough to move objects around. In China they found a very strong telekinetic, a young woman named Tama Yokida

And so it was that in the year 2017 the PSy Academy opened for business, on Perry Rodhan's base in the dark side of the moon, hidden from prying eyes on Earth. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are reading this, I'd like some feedback: Should I expand the last 3 paragraphs ? I mean, talk more about how Perry's team found the other Psy people and how they joined the Psy Academy ? I was quite tired when I wrote the last 2 paragraphs so I just summarized it. Is it something that interests you ?
> 
> Also, is the telepathic resonance stuff boring or too long ? It will play a part in later chapters so I made a detailed explanation for it. The TL;DR explanation is that the more Psy people are on an area, the stronger their Psy gets.


End file.
